New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen failed to address some pressing roster needs last offseason, and those mistakes have now placed him on the hot seat going into the 2025-26 campaign.
One reason he still has a seat in the Meadowlands is likely his success in the 2024 NFL Draft, one member of which just earned special recognition.
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra named an unsung hero from every team this season, and the Giants’ representative is rookie cornerback Dru Phillips. The third-round pick spent four years with the Kentucky Wildcats and was a steady presence on an otherwise leaky secondary. He is getting his just due.
Phillips recorded 71 combined tackles, seven tackles for loss, one interception, two forced fumbles, and one sack in 14 games. The advanced metrics are also in Phillips’ favor, with the 23-year-old earning an overall grade of 77.5 from Pro Football Focus. He hit high marks in both run and pass coverage, proving to be a highly versatile contributor for New York.
The Giants have a long checklist to complete in the coming months, but Phillips’ swift development gives them one less hole to fill. After suffering through two consecutive years of dismal football, fans should appreciate that. Schoen must now bring another impactful defensive back to complement his draft-day bargain.
Giants’ potential options to fortify the shaky secondary
Veteran Adoree’ Jackson will enter free agency after an uneven season that included 28 tackles, five passes defended, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Even if the organization decides to retain the veteran cornerback, more reinforcements are needed.
New York can jump into a free agency pool with an intriguing cornerback group. Charvarius Ward, D.J. Reed, or Carlton Davis can all potentially vault to the top of the G-Men’s depth chart if Schoen opts to allocate a big chunk of the $40-plus million the team will have in cap space. Or, the general manager could attempt to bolster the position in April’s draft.
If neither Cam Ward nor Shedeur Sanders is available at the No. 3 overall pick, there is always a chance the Giants will trade down and stockpile assets. Implementing such a strategy would set themselves up to grab a viable corner on one of the draft’s first two days. There is plenty of time to dissect prospects, however.
Despite a brutal 3-14 season, which hopefully signals rock bottom, fans owe it to themselves to focus on the dollops of positivity that came out of 2024-25. And Phillips was one of them. Ideally, he will use this NFL.com shout-out as motivation going forward.
If No. 22 builds on this productive start to his NFL career, he will not be unsung for much longer.
